Power consumption calculation apparatus, power consumption calculation method, and state transition data generation method

Abstract

A power consumption calculation apparatus is disclosed, including: a work load measurement part, a management part, and a power consumption calculation part. The work load measurement part measures a work load of a job executed by an image forming apparatus and records a measured value, at predetermined time intervals. The management part manages state transition data indicating power consumption and a required time for each of states of the image forming apparatus which transits in response to an execution of each job. The power consumption calculation part calculates a power consumption amount corresponding to one job execution at each predetermined time interval when it is determined that the job is executed, based on the measured value and the state transition data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A power consumption calculation apparatus, comprising:
 a work load measurement part configured to measure a work load of a job executed by an image forming apparatus and to record a measured value, at predetermined times; 
 a management part configured to manage state transition data indicating, for a type of the image forming apparatus, power consumption and a required time for each of states of the image forming apparatus which transitions in response to an execution of each job; 
 an acquiring part configured to acquire identification information of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus connected through a network; 
 a time calculation part configured to acquire, from the management part, the state transition data corresponding to the identification information, generating of the state transition data including comparing a first required time and a second required time for each state in at least two jobs, determining a type of state in response to whether a difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds a predetermined value, a state being of a type of which the required time varies depending on a number of sheets to print, when the difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds the predetermined value, and the generating of the state transition data including recording information indicating the required time of the state, which is of the type of which the required time varies, into the state transition data at the state transition detected for each of the at least two jobs, 
 configured to calculate an aggregation of the required times of the states based on the state transition data, and 
 configured to calculate the predetermined time based on the aggregation of the required times of the states; and 
 a power consumption calculation part configured to calculate a power consumption amount corresponding to one job execution at each predetermined time when it is determined that the job corresponding to the work load is executed, based on the measured value and the state transition data. 
 
     
     
       2. The power consumption calculation apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the power consumption calculation part is configured to calculate a required time of a state which changes depending on the work load of the executed job, based on the measured value, and to calculate the power consumption amount by applying the calculated required time to the state transition data. 
     
     
       3. The power consumption calculation apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the time calculation part is configured to calculate the predetermined time so that the required time of the state which changes depending on the work load of the executed job is determined as zero, or so as to be a time corresponding to the work load of a predetermined job. 
     
     
       4. The power consumption calculation apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the executed job corresponding to the work load is a print job, and the measured value is a number of print sheets. 
     
     
       5. The power consumption calculation apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the states of the image forming apparatus include a pre-process state, an operating state, a waiting state, and a sleep state. 
     
     
       6. A power consumption calculation method performed by a computer including a processor, said power consumption calculation method comprising:
 measuring a work load of a job executed by an image forming apparatus and recording a measured value, at predetermined times; 
 acquiring identification information of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus connected through a network; 
 acquiring, from a management part that manages state transition data indicating, for a type of the image forming apparatus, power consumption and a required time for each of states of the image forming apparatus which transits transitions in response to an execution of each job, the state transition data corresponding to the identification information of the image forming apparatus generating of the state transition data including comparing a first required time and a second required time for each state in at least two jobs, determining a type of state in response to whether a difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds a predetermined value, a state being of a type of which the required time varies depending on a number of sheets to print, when the difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds the predetermined value, and the generating of the state transition data including recording information indicating the required time of the state, which is of the type of which the required time varies, into the state transition data at the state transition detected for each of the at least two jobs; 
 calculating a power consumption amount corresponding to one job execution at each predetermined time when it is determined that the job is executed, based on the measured value and the state transition data; and 
 calculating an aggregation of the required times of the states based on the state transition data and calculating the predetermined time based on the aggregation of the required times of the states. 
 
     
     
       7. The power consumption calculation method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the calculation of the power consumption amount includes calculating a required time of a state which changes depending on the work load of the executed job, based on the measured value, and calculating the power consumption amount by applying a calculated required time to the state transition data. 
     
     
       8. The power consumption method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the calculation of the aggregation of the required times includes calculating the predetermined time so that the required time of the state which changes depending on the work load of the executed job is determined as zero, or so as to be a time corresponding to the work load of a predetermined job. 
     
     
       9. The power consumption method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the executed job corresponding to the work load is a print job, and the measured value is a number of print sheets. 
     
     
       10. A state transition data generation method performed by a computer including a processor, said state transition data generation method comprising:
 receiving a power consumption value periodically from a meter connected to an image forming apparatus, the meter capable of measuring the power consumption value; 
 sending an execution indication of each of a first job and a second job to the image forming apparatus; 
 recording information indicating a relation between the power consumption value received in response to sending the execution indication of each of the first job and the second job, and a time when the power consumption value is received, to a recording part; 
 detecting a state transition for each of the first job and the second job of the image forming apparatus in response to an execution of each of the first job and the second job, based on the information recorded in the recording part; and 
 generating state transition data indicating power consumption and a required time for each of states of each of the first job and the second job, the generating of the state transition data including comparing a first required time and a second required time for each state in the first job and the second job, determining a type of state in response to whether a difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds a predetermined value, a state being of a type of which the required time varies depending on a number of sheets to print, when the difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds the predetermined value, and the generating of the state transition data including recording information indicating the required time of the state, which is of the type of which the required time varies, into the state transition data at the state transition detected for each of the first job and the second job. 
 
     
     
       11. The state transition data generation method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the first job and the second job have different work loads. 
     
     
       12. The state transition data generation method claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the detection of the state transition determines that the state is transited, when the power consumption changes and exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       13. The state transition data generation method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the detection of the state transition detects the state transition by conducting a predetermined signal process with respect to the information recorded in the recording part.